This is more of a heads up I guess. I sent my mom on one of the trips to Tahiti last summer. There were 3 boats in the charter, and several of the travelers on one of the boats wanted to change vessels mid-trip because the vibe on the skipper/company owner's boat was so bad. It was supposedly the skippers' last trip, so not caring about a couple of sisters that were jerks to everyone on all three boats wasn't important. My mom's been getting solicited for a new trip to Ireland by the same company, and the bad skipper is somehow leading the trip. Don't buy this for your mom or anyone you care about. read more

My name is Lorrie and I was on the same boat as women who were complaining. I would like to point out that this trip was not a cruise ship experience, nor was it meant to be. The effort it takes to bring 60 women to the far edge of Belize to snorkel the reef and go where many women may never go is extreme and takes a bunch of effort. Our Captain was from Alaska. I myself being from California took 4 planes to get home. Holly is the best at organizing these trips and always says that she cannot solve a problem unless she knows about it. She was at the fuel dock asking"How was your trip?" This was after our trip, upon checking the boats back in. I personally gave her a hug at our raft up happy hour. If you found her unapproachable, it's because you did not approach her. The negative reviews should be for the Charter Company, not Mahalo Sailing Adventures. Holly does not run that company and cannot control how they run it. In fact, Belize did not have a charter company for many years, nor a landing strip to get to the area we went. We were at the he furthest point of Belize you can get to. I have never been able to achieve this trip in 20 Years, previously traveling Belize. The opportunity to be at a Women Who Sail Rendezvous in Belize is a once in a lifetime experience for many women. I am grateful for the experience. The fact that a few women are looking to bash Holly and her company to escape payment is unimaginable. If you are into Adventure and not just looking for a free ride, take a trip with this group of ladies. Forever Grateful Lorrie Bosick read more

I recently completed my first trip with Mahalo Sailing in Croatia and it was an Epic trip for several reasons. I did not know anyone else in the group beforehand and the group of ladies were amazing with different backgrounds and experiences to share. The boat itself needed some help but it didn't matter since captain Holly and first mate Nicky are top notch experienced sailors and they could repair anything that needed attention. They did this while providing for us the best sailing, eating, and shoreside experiences. They were sooo much fun and Croatia was an outstanding destination also. I have been keeping in touch with my crewmates and I can't wait to join this group again on another adventure!! read more

Mahalo Sailing Adventures - At the helm. - Travel Services Near Me

Just finished a fantastic trip of a lifetime in Croatia. Captain Holly and First Mate Nicky were 1st Class throughout the trip. Sailing, island adventures and food were amazing. I have already signed up for my next Mahalo Sailing Adventure Trip 5 Stars read more

My trip to Croatia was amazing!! I was worried about getting on a boat for 2 weeks with a bunch of women I had never met, but my worries were quickly abated. We all got along like we were all friends for years. We sailed to so many places and I got such a history lesson when we got off the boat and toured the islands and cities. Holly and Nikki are so knowledgeable and I felt quite comfortable the whole time. Some of the ladies on my trip are already planning their next vacation with Holly! read more

Mahalo Sailing Adventures - My favorite first mate - Travel Services Near Me

See all

Have treasured the people, places and memories I've made on sailing trips with Mahalo Sailing Adventures. I never would have sailed in the Sea of Cortez, in Belize or Granada without this group and they were all fantastic experiences! Holly, the other captains and first mates are professional and fun; definitely have safety and customer experiences as high priorities. I've made lifelong friends, gained a ton of confidence, learned valuable skills and highly enjoyed these "trips of a lifetime". Anytime I'm thinking of a fun, exciting vacation, I book with Mahalo Sailing Adventures. read more

Mahalo sailing is fabulous. Organized professional Fun adventures. Recommend. On your trip you can be as active as you want. Help with the sailing or sit back and enjoy the experience. read more

I am not one to write negative reviews online; however, I felt like it was necessary considering the experience I just had with Mahalo. I am writing this review as a first-time customer of Mahalo - the reviews of repeat customers are very different; if you are already in the clique the experience varies drastically. In fact, the clique is so strong that the owner of the company was within five feet of me on three different occasions during the trip and never acknowledged my presence, overlooked me to speak with her friends, never asked me how the trip was going or anything at all; very odd customer service for a client who spent a considerable amount of money to engage in this experience! Overall, the trip was very poorly planned and organized - the trip started a day late while we stayed at the dock in 90 degree weather as each boat was checked by one employee; we spent hours each day navigating through shallow water; the boats were all in some state of disrepair with too much time spent on repairs during the trip Some of the boats were much nicer than others (ie: A/C, shaded seating areas, larger boats) but we all paid the same amount of money to go on the trip. The owner gave the nicer boats to her friends on the trip. There were no apologies given, or the offer of being reimbursed for the trip being one day less than planned. Also, we were stuck on our boat for two days because our dingy didn't work and none of the other boats offered to loan us theirs. I was able to swim over to a snorkel site but some of the others didn't feel comfortable swimming that far so they were stuck on the boat. One night we had to give $12 for some hors d'oeuvres at a happy hour - we didn't have any say as to what was ordered, which was mostly fried food, but then no one on our boat got any food, it was put out and five minutes later not a crumb was left! The next day they put $3 on the table and said, "this is for whoever didn't get any food last night"! All in all, I would have to say this is the worst vacation I have ever been on; I would recommend if someone is considering being a first time client of Mahalo that they keep looking for another company - when taking time off and spending a considerable amount of money, you deserve to be treated better! read more

As the other woman said, the trip was a disaster with constant boat equipment failures and other issues that cost us two full days of cruising time. We were provided with snorkeling equipment that was broken and mismatched and there wasn't enough of it for everyone. Holly specifically told us almost daily leading up to the trip not to bring our own snorkel equipment and not to bring anything that wasn't on her official packing list so most of us were left with no option but to use the broken equipment provided. We were given very few opportunities to snorkel on the barrier reef at all because the captain of my boat did not want to take us anywhere in the dinghy, nor let us swim out as far as we would have needed to in order to get to a place where we could have snorkeled on the reef. I spent less than three hours of a week's sailing trip snorkeling on a reef, despite being on one of the largest reef systems in the world. This to me is the biggest, most egregious issue with the entire trip. Each day of cruising felt rushed and Holly plotted a route that had almost no favorable winds for sailing. Consequently, we motored for all but two hours of the trip. It was not a "sailing" trip at all. I spent a considerable amount of money as well as used up all of my available vacation time for this. What a disappointment. I emailed the owner and brought these concerns and many others directly to her but she blew me off and talked down to me. She has no interest in making things right despite the severe equipment problems, poor planning of the trip and the unwillingness of my captain to allow us to participate in activities off of our boat. It's very frustrating to have these failures completely dismissed as simply part of the trip. I don't accept that at all. Holly kept track of all the boat issues and even acknowledged that the amount of issues we had were beyond what would be considered normal "boats always have issues." I have no doubt she is taking that inventory of issues to the parent charter company and demanding she be compensated in some way for that level of failure. If she feels she deserves that because of the extreme level of failure, then why isn't she passing that on to her paying customers? That's not acceptable to me. Yes, the charter company massively failed to provide what they claimed they would, and in turn so did Mahalo. If The charter company is expected to make it right then Mahalo should be too. A final issue beyond that is that the entire trip is cliques of women who only want to spend time with their group of ladies. There were a few exceptions to this, one group in particular in my case, but other than that no one really made much effort. If you are considering your first trip with Mahalo, I'd strongly encourage you to consider the reviews of women who also went for the first time to get a much more accurate idea of what your trip will be like. I will never do another Mahalo trip and could never in good conscience recommend them to others. read more

We've been on three Mahalo Adventures. All women on our particular adventures, from all over the US and some from other countries, different ages, different backgrounds, different sailing skills, having a great time together. I've been sailing for 50 years in SF, SoCal and DC, never sailed a catamaran through a squall or through a narrow reef inlet like I got to do on the Tahiti trip. Never navigated the second largest barrier reef or had dinner on a island that was made of Mangroves until Belize. On each trip we've gone early and gone diving. We all help with something-- sailing, crewing, food prep, sweep up, etc., depending on our interests and abilities. You can also just chill. If you are looking for an adventure, to go places less traveled, to make new friends, to conquer your fears of whatever sailing experience you have yet to experience, join Holly Scott on a Mahalo Sailing (or whale or European canal boat) adventure. You won't regret it. Bring your bestie or share a cabin with your soon to be new friend. You won't be disappointed if you bring your sense of adventure, a towel and some sensible shoes. Or come in flip flops. You are welcome as you are. (But bring the sensible shoes if you want to go in the awesome land adventures.). Expect to leave with new friends and a lot of great experiences and memories. read more

See all

I highly recommend Mahalo Sailing! I've gone on 6+ trips with Holly and she is the absolute best. Safety first but also the best adventures. Food is amazing. World class locations. She is a fixer of all things, as anyone who has been on a boat knows happens. And when the wind isn't cooperating other great fun wonderful exciting things happen! Music! Dancing! Want to bleet at a goat?! Let's go! Want to see whales up close! Yes! I look forward to future trips that I'm already signed up for! read more

See all

I have only been on one trip with this company, so this review only speaks only for this experience. It's unfair to judge an entire company and its history by one trip but mine was very lackluster. I joined the Belize rendezvous trip with no expectations as I'm old enough to know better and I'm pretty "go with the flow". I've sailed a bit, but I'm not super confident, hence, the reason for booking this particular kind of trip. I realize that registration and check for almost 60 people - and COVID testing - is a real feat. However, there was no shade, nowhere to properly conduct Covid testing, no access to water. With some desperation, we accessed the water jug that belonged to the charter company. Some of us got a taxi and went to the grocery store to get more water. We were warned that this process could be a shmozzle, and it certainly was. I certainly expect some disorganization and chaos as it's a huge undertaking, but not at the level which we experienced. At one point, one of the captains scolded us for standing too close to the office area (only shade while conducting the COVID tests) and also advised that we could not drink their water. The charter company knew there were 60 women coming so we were pretty frustrated with the situation and also being scolded like school girls. I was a little bit put off by the cost of the welcome dinner, to purchase a shirt instead of it being included, and having to bring our own beverage on board. Alcohol is understandable, but I would've thought, sodas or juices would've been included. I felt a bit nickel and dimed. The dinner was fantastic and it seemed like there was plenty of food. The charter company in Belize was clearly disorganized. I realize it was an unfortunate a one-man show - but the state of the office, the condition of the snorkelling equipment were terrible. The charter company's professionalism is certainly beyond the control of Mahalo but perhaps more effort could've been made to assess the situation before hand. Simple things like access to shade and hydration with a proper set up for the Covid test to take place are basics. Functioning and available snorkel gear is certainly expected. Access to more than one toilet for 60 women would've been good as well. The charter company "did its best" but for me, I don't agree. The charter had been planned many months, but it was disorganized, some of the boat equipment were in very poor condition, and a lot of us had issues with equipment. On one hand, this is part of the nature of boats. Stuff will go wrong, and there's great learning to be had because of it. However, there were just too many issues. The state of the charter office was shockingly disorganized, filthy, with broken equipment, garbage that hadn't been dealt with in weeks or months. These are things Mahalo does not control, but it does not make for a great start or welcome. A lot of the blame for my poor experience, and thought of others, can be placed with the charter company in Belize . However I think communication, advanced planning and more awareness of what was going on with that charter company would've been better and is expected. I am sure there have been many happy customers with Mahalo sailing, but this experience for me was disappointing. It's a shame because "women only" sailing is quite special and there are not many groups offering these kinds of trips. Holly and her team have loads of skills, they put safety first, and they really know their stuff. This trip was just not a good one in my experience. I thought the captains and first mates were exceptional, those that I had a chance to meet. Overall, I felt it was quite cliquy. If you were in the clique, it definitely was a rendezvous, but if you're a newbie, it could be a little chilly. I'm not a shy person, but I was surprised at the unfriendly demeanour of many on other boats. I was quite lucky to have some great women on my boat but I was frequently taken aback at being outright ignored or barked at by participants and crew from other boats. It was strange!! There was not enough snorkel time, shore time or sailing. I was definitely not looking for a luxury cruise, and I came on board prepared to work, sweat and get lots of bruises. I also came on board prepared to have fun, and that was hard won at times. Our group definitely made the best of it and maybe other trips are better organized and more cohesive. There are lots of different personalities on the boats, and it's pretty challenging to please everybody. There were just too many minuses on this trip to entice me to join another excursion with Mahalo. read more

I think the people who wrote the bad reviews must be high. Seriously. I joined the trip to the Netherlands this year and it was magical. This is not a super high end experience, rather it is a casual and spontaneous adventure. Holly and her crew are top notch, skilled sailors who take safety very seriously while having a fantastic time. I don't think I've laughed that much in years. The other women on the trip - all shapes, sizes and backgrounds were there to explore the Netherlands and were excited to see what each day brought. Yes, it rained. A lot - but even then we carried on. The food was yummy and bountiful, and dietary restrictions were accommodated. I will always remember this trip, and ended up with a BOATLOAD of new friends. I'm so sad to see someone has an axe to grind when I read the couple of bad reviews. This is an amazing small business - women owned (mother & daughter). And who is Mark S? Dude - that was a women only trip YOU WERE NOT ON IT!!! Jeez. Insider tip: If you are a solo traveler, this is a great opportunity for you. Many of the guests are traveling independently so no worries about being the odd person out. read more

We are not sailors but my family loves the ocean. We've sailed with Mahalo a couple of times (Mexico). First off, the trips are exceptionally priced, high value for the dollar, which matters to me as I pick up the tab for multiple people. My wife has also taken Mahalo trips on her own to Belize and Grenada. Intimate-sized group onboard makes it easy for even the most socially inept (like me), to get to know fellow travelers and have fun. My wife always makes new friends when we travel and Mahalo Adventures has brought some terrific people into our lives. The most important part: We swam, snorkeled, kayaked, sailed, sunned, napped, hiked, dined, read, and tried new things. I was impressed meeting women skippers, they were professional, accommodating, and welcoming. Captain Scott is funny and always ready to answer questions. This kind of travel is special. If like me you're a hardass who struggles to relax and be open to the moment, you might find this is a gift you deserve to give yourself. Here's who won't like this type of travel: People that think they're on an episode of Below Deck or Real Housewives. read more

UPDATE: I contacted the owner, who took zero responsibility for anything that went wrong on the trip, so I have filed a complaint with my credit card company. Avoid this company at all cost! I'm not sure it even matters if I put anything here, since I had to add the business to yelp to even write a review. It's kind of weird to me that you cannot find anything or any reviews about this business, other than the handful of friends-of-the-owner, that have put reviews on the business Facebook page. This one is going to be long, so buckle in... it was unbelievable! The cruise was supposed to be for Women Who Sail from March 20 through March 27. It was announced after everyone had paid and all the information started coming out, that the 20th would be a night at the dock. There is a "welcome dinner" that you are required to pay for (~$83BZS), which honestly made it feel not very welcoming. I have never had to pay for a welcoming dinner, to welcome myself aboard. That's was just weird and something the owner of the company should cover. You also had to pay $20 to buy a shirt, with the company logo on the front. I wore it one time for a picture, on the last night at anchor, where we were right outside the main pier at Placencia. It had been indicated we would be leaving early Sunday morning to head out. As Sunday started to wear on, it quickly became apparent that we would not be leaving until late Sunday afternoon. All six boats were finally out of the marina at about 3:45pm. The first night we rushed to the anchorage, only to realize it was too late in the day to do any snorkeling or anything, other than just become more acclimated to the boat and where everything was located. We also found out that we had a non-working dinghy at that point. Monday and Tuesday were spent traveling to new anchorages, and since we didn't have a dinghy, our boat was left to just snorkel around the boat looking at the seagrass. By " traveling to new anchorages", I mean, standing on the bow of the boat, watching for depth, since the captains were not used to navigating shallow water. For some reason, instead of sailing the very deep waters off the coast of Belize, the owner of the company decided to take six giant catamarans through shallow waters, filled with sensitive coral heads. By Wednesday, I had still not seen a single fish and a couple of boats were extremely upset that we came all the way to Belize and had still not seen the barrier reef. A group from my boat finally paid a local to take us out to an area we could snorkel. We got to spend approximately one hour in an area of coral that acted as a fish nursery, before returning to our boat, where we were told, we would have to pay $12 for hors d'oeuvres and buy our own drinks for a "happy hour" on land. I know of at least three other people from my boat who got none of the hors d'oeuvres and an "oh well, people should share more", when it was mentioned later. Thursday we started heading back to Placentia and made one last stop, where we were finally able to see some pretty decent coral and fish, around a little island. This was also only about an hour in the water, for a total of approximately 2 hrs the entire trip. Friday night we anchored right outside Placencia pier and several people started going to shore. One person requested she be taken to shore and had her husband pick her up, a day early, since we were right there at the pier anyway. It was clear she had reached her limits as well. The next morning, several people requested a dinghy ride to shore, so they could "catch flights", since they had been given a heads-up, on what was about to happen. When we got back to the marina, the women on the boats were required to basically clean out everything and tidy up the boats. I had never been so happy for a trip to end as I was this one. The cost of the trip was approximately $2400 per person for the week, which did not include airfare, hotel stays before and after the trip, or any other essentials needed...food, personal items, etc. You have to supply all of your own soap, shampoos, everything, including any personal items you want to eat. While the food was sufficient on the boats, and there were snacks, put out in the afternoon, the money spent on this trip could have gone to a all inclusive resort, where there would've been much more fun time and not nearly the amount of stress this trip caused. If I could give this trip zero stars I would. The only really positive thing I can say about this entire trip is that the captain of my boat was a very sweet lady, and I think she did the best she could, since she was forced to follow along with the owner of the company. It was a horrendous trip and a lot of women that went on this one will never go again. It's really sad because it turned so many women against sailing and that's not what this trip was supposed to do...it was supposed to be the opposite! Worst vacation ever! read more

I wish there were reviews about this company before I booked my trip. The one I went on was very unorganized, and it was nothing like what was in the description. Activities were limited, especially the opportunities to snorkel. On our boat, We were treated like children and had to negotiate anytime we wanted to get off and go to one of the few little islands when we had the opportunity. It was very discouraged that we went anywhere. I also was not expecting a glamorous trip as I am someone who enjoys roughing it and was prepared to do that. I brought my head lamp and fan etc. as suggested, which I never really had to use. So I was really disappointed when, instead of floating on beautiful waters in silence, a loud generator was running constantly all night and when we weren't motoring. As for talking to the owner about these issues while they were happening? If she was on my boat, I would have spoken to her. But speaking to her at the large group party would of been the only real opportunity to do so, and It was kind of a crazy busy gathering. Also, most of these women were very clickish and not welcoming at all to the newbees. So It made me feel very uncomfortable. It was so disappointing...My expectations were so built up about this trip and I was just so let down. I spent my savings to do this trip of a lifetime and I hope someday I can try again and it will be much better. On the positive side, if I hadn't gone on this trip. I would have never connected with a couple of other amazing women and woke up on a boat to see the sunrise and sunset, which were amazing. My suggestion is to do your research before doing any big trip. read more

I have been on 2 trips so far with Mahalo Sailing Adventures. The only reason for the 4 instead of 5 stars is due to equipment problems that are the due to the charter company (dream yachts in both cases) not having adequate staff or equipment to have the boats in top condition. That said I understand that they are boats! Boats have issues, and I learned a lot from the excellent captains about how to deal with these problems by watching them. It's important to realize on these trips that it's an adventure, things like weather and fish and water conditions are not under the control of the captains. I always want to sail more, snorkel more, play more! It is communal living, not for everyone, but nights under a star filled sky, listening to music, hanging out with awesome women- can't be beat! read more

Katie and Holly and their whole crew were incredible! The She of Cortez trip was one for the books. The view, amazing snorkel spots, wonderful teachings and top tips for sailing. I would highly recommend this trip for anyone wanting to explore the sea of Cortez, become a part of an incredible community of amazing women and advance your sailing skills. 100% would go again. read more

We have been on several trips with Mahalo Sailing and they all have been fantastic! Holly and Katie know how to create life changing experiences unlike any other travel group we have experienced. We are shocked by the arrogance and ignorance of the negative reviews from people assigning Mahalo with the fault for things that are clearly not in Mahalo's control. The complaints should be lodged at the Charter base, not Mahalo. read more

I have been on 3 different adventures with Mahalo Sailing Adventures and I am always amazed how Holly locates excellent female captains and first mates to create a safe fun experience for all. Meal planning and cooking for a diverse group of women is no easy feat. Anyone who has been on a sailboat or knows anything about sailboats has to know that things breakdown. Once again the selecting of the right captains and first mates is key to keeping trip going. Unfortunately the Belize charter company was severely understaffed but that is not Mahalo Sailing's fault. We did have an onshore happy hour at a small bar on a tiny island. 60 women showed up at a business that had one bartender and one cook. They hustled to keep us as happy as possible and yes the food was not enough for crowd but they had little warning that we were coming. Even knowing a day or 2 ahead where does this little business go to get more food??? Can't trot over to a grocery store when your island is secluded and all supplies must be delivered on a little skiff. Every morning the captains conversed on plans for the day and every boat had the opportunity to speak up about what they wanted to do. Was this cruise like a royal Caribbean cruise with attendants doing things like laundry making beds etx? No. Was this cruise an opportunity for women to come together and learn about each other and get as involved as they wanted to with the sailing of the boat? YES. Holly and Mahalo Adventures are responsible for the 60 or so women who participate on these adventures and all the captains and first mates put the attendees first. I will definitely be participating in future MahaloSailing Adventures. read more